Five killed in car bomb explosion in capital of Somalia

A car bomb explosion in Somalia's capital has killed at least five people.

Captain Mohamed Hussein said the blast in Mogadishu today was by a car parked outside a restaurant in the Hamarweyne district and killed mostly civilians.

The explosion shattered a period of calm in the seaside city which has a large security presence following a series of attacks by the Islamic extremist rebels of al Shabab, who are linked to al Qaida and fighting the Somali government and African Union forces in the country.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.

However al Shabab often carries out such attacks.

Despite being ousted from large parts of the south and central Somalia, the insurgents continue deadly attacks across the country.